The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, .MARCH 15, 1930. THE GOVERNMENT RECORD.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 March 1930, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, .MARCH 15, 1930. THE GOVERNMENT RECORD.

Of the active and capable members of the Ministry, Sir Joseph 'Ward has at his call, the Hon. El. A. Ransom, Minister of Public Works, is one of the 'most popular. Mr Ransom is referred to often as a possible future Prime Minister, being an energetic worker and a very capable administrator. Mr Ransom has been touring the Auckland province, and has made good wherever he went, tie was able to tell the people something of the Government record to date, and its ability and puipose in regard to the declared policy. For instance, speaking at Morrinsville this week, Mr Ransom offered a vigorous defence of the Government’s policy in matters of land settlement,, reading and taxation, when speaking at a luncheon tendered him by the Piako County Council in Morrinsville and at a ceremony at the opening of I the Piako River bridge later in the j day. In reply to a speaker who sa.id many people were disappointed at the Govei'iiiinen I's land policy and its failure to solve the unemployment pro- | Idem, Mr Ransom said people who | talked like that must be those who did not know anything about- the Government’s land .settlement policy. He outlined the efforts the Government was making to give assistance to men taking up waste land. There were millions of acres of Crown land, and the best way in solve uneniployiin-o.nt was to get people on to this unoccupied land. 'I lie officers of the Lands Department were making a survey of lln' land available, and as soon as the facts and figures were at the disposal of 1 lie Minister of Lands every effort would lie made to throw these idle lands open for settlement. However, fliis took time, and they should not lie impatient. Land owners with improved land to sell had found the present Government harder to deal with than the Government in office

during the soldier settlement period. Air Ramson claimed that the present Loveriiment had set aside a ueiinite sunn Tor the development of idle Crown land, it had earmarked £5,060,L00 to a.s.svst settlers in developing their holdings. in the past seuleis had spent their savings on developing their land, and then could not get lmance from the State to carry on the work, with the result that much country had gone back into second growth lor want of capital to continue the developmental worn. Air Ransom asserted that since he had taken over the portfolio of Public Works there had been fewer cases of relief workers leaning on their shovels and riot doing a fair day T s work which lie said had become notorious before the advent to power of the present Government. Good farmers were needed just as much as good roads, declared the Minister, wiien mentioningthe frequent requests for roads in back block districts Ho was pleased to notice on his trip from Rotorua to Morrinsville that the farms were in splendid condition, showing that the farmers realised too value of rotational grazing and top-dressing. Although he lived in a district that had been settled for 50 years, there was no metalled road to withitf several miles of his own homestead. However, he thought that failing an increase in tiie petrol tax to provide funds lor backblock roads, which would meet- with strong opposition from organised motorists, the Highways Board should take

over more country loads so as to leave

counties with a smaller mileage of backblock roads to look after on their own. Defending the ' recent amendments to the income tax law, by which large farmois had been taxed, Air Ransom said the farmers who were getting good returns should contribute to enable better roads to be p: ovided for •backblock .Etottlera He recalled the I case of a friend, who had a taxable in- ( come of £15,690 a year, and was now paying several thousands in income tax instead of £3OO as formerly. The Minister. contended that if men like this were not in a position to contribute to the revenue, then he did not know what other section of the public was more fitted to pay. He personally had been hit hard by the taxation amendments, as he was a big land-owner.